The C-Suite: That place where most of us strive to be when we launch a career. Referring to the cluster of top-level executive positions within most companies — chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer (COO), chief financial officer (CFO) and chief information officer (CIO) — the C-Suite entails hard work, high stress and long hours. But the rewards can be substantial.
AMP asked readers to tell us who their favorite C-Suite executives were. Their titles may not precisely reflect “CEO” or any of the others, but their roles do. This isn’t a “best of” or a “top executives” list; but it’s a way to recognize many of those business executives in Arkansas whose hard work makes The Natural State a great place to live and work.
CEOs
CEO
/ sē ē ō /
noun
plural noun: CEOs
a chief executive officer, the highest-ranking person in a company or other institution, ultimately responsible for making managerial decisions.
Ashton Adcock
Merchants & Farmers Bank
Ashton Adcock is a 1981 graduate of Dumas High School; a 1985 graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he earned a business degree in banking and finance; and a 1988 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, where he earned his juris doctorate degree. He practiced law in Little Rock until 1996, when he joined the staff of the bank. Adcock has served on the board of directors of Merchants & Farmers since 1991, has chaired the board since 1994 and currently holds the positions of chief executive officer and chairman of the board. The bank started in Dumas in 1909. In 2011, it opened a branch in Bryant and expanded into Benton with a downtown location in 2021.
Mark Amox
Unity Health
Mark Amox, FACHE, is president and chief executive officer for Unity Health. Headquartered in Searcy, Unity Health is a comprehensive health-care system comprising four hospitals, multiple clinics and specialists serving eight counties in central Arkansas. Amox began at Unity Health in November 2022. His primary focus is on the people, patients and communities Unity Health serves by delivering on the organizational mission to improve health and well-being through compassionate care. He has more than two decades of health care leadership and executive experience serving as COO at Regional Medical Center in San Jose, California; COO of Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas; President/CEO of El Paso Children’s Hospital in Texas; and Administrator of Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Locally, Amox served for eight years as Administrator of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Curtis Barnett
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Curtis Barnett serves as president and chief executive officer for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which serves more than 2 million members nationwide. As president and CEO, Barnett is leading Arkansas Blue Cross’ efforts to help transform health care, striving to make it a more affordable and compassionate system. Prior to his election as president and CEO in 2017, Barnett served as senior vice president of internal operations for Arkansas Blue Cross and as president and CEO of its wholly owned subsidiary company, USAble Corporation.
On the national front, Barnett serves on the board of directors for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and the National Institute for Healthcare Management (NIHCM). He leads as chairman of the Board of Managers for Blue Health Intelligence, a health care data analytics and solutions company, and as co-chair of the Roundtable on Innovations in Mental and Behavioral Health for the Health Evolution.
Katie Beck
Arkansas Hospitality Association
Katie Beck is the CEO of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, where she and her team serve as the voice of the hospitality industry, representing restaurants, lodging, and travel and tourism businesses throughout Arkansas. Previously, Beck served six years in the administration of Gov. Asa Hutchinson in a variety of roles. Prior to joining the association, Beck worked as communications director for Hutchinson and represented his office in Washington, D.C.
Beck is a graduate of the University of Arkansas, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history. She received her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law.
Bret Carroll
Conway Corp.
Bret Carroll serves as chief executive officer of Conway Corporation, a company that provides electric, water, wastewater, video, internet, voice and security services to the city of Conway. He began his career with Conway Corp. more than 20 years ago as chief financial officer. He earned a BBA in accounting and an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas and is a certified public accountant. He is recognized by the American Public Power Association as a certified public power manager.
Carroll serves on a number of industry boards, including the Arkansas Cable and Telecommunications Association, Arkansas Municipal Power Association, Arkansas One-Call, Conway Development Corporation, Mid-America Cable Television Association and the Mid-Arkansas Water Alliance.
He is active with numerous organizations and has served on several nonprofit boards, including the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Gideons International, Rotary International, Salvation Army and the United Way of Central Arkansas.
Scot Davis
Arkansas Urology
E. Scot Davis is the chief executive officer of Arkansas Urology in Little Rock. He joined the clinic in May of 2013. Davis has nearly 30 years of physician practice management experience serving in a variety of roles with expertise in physician recruitment, joint venture arrangements, compensation modeling and operational efficiency. He also serves as the managing partner of Uroventures LLC, a management development company owned by independent urology physicians that seeks out innovative clinical ventures.
Davis is a partner in Freeway Park Properties, a urology-based properties holding company, and serves as the managing partner of Centerview Management Services, a physician practice-specific management support company.
Before moving to Little Rock, he served as CFO of Baptist Medical Group in Memphis and CFO of Northeast Arkansas Clinic in Jonesboro, where he served a dual role as interim COO.
Jay Chesshir
Little Rock Chamber
Jay Chesshir is well-known for his involvement in the capital city’s development. In 2006, the proud native of Nashville became the 15th president and CEO in the 143-year history of the chamber.
Chesshir began his career at the chamber in 2005 as economic development vice president. He also served as senior staff executive for Fifty for the Future and executive director of the Metro Little Rock Alliance, an 11-county marketing coalition dedicated to promoting central Arkansas. In 2016, Chessir was elected national board chair of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), representing more than 7,500 chamber professionals from more than 1,300 chambers of commerce across the United States and Canada. The next year, he became the only person in ACCE’s 103-year history elected to serve a second term as board chair.
Dennis Clay
Crews & Associates
Dennis Clay drives the strategic direction and operational performance of the Crews team as it assists clients in Arkansas and across the country in navigating financial markets. His commitment to stewardship and service – backed by delivering reliable value to investors and bond issuers – positions the organization for consistent performance long term.
Before becoming CEO in 2020, Dennis was head of sales and trading. His extensive background includes serving as a municipal underwriter for 28 years and underwriting more than $100 billion in municipal bonds. His experience includes developing a dedicated municipal sales force, building a super-regional competitive underwriting group that covered the entire country and constructing an internal system that pre-markets and distributes negotiated municipal bonds to numerous class investors.
Jessica Flake Dearnley
Flake and Company
Jessica Flake Dearnley has more than 20 years of experience in commercial real estate. She is a chartered financial analyst (CFA), a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified commercial investment member (CCIM). Dearnley is licensed in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas. She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a double major in cognitive psychology and creative writing, from the University of Miami with an MBA in finance and investments, from the University of Arkansas with a master’s degree in accountancy and currently is finishing a master’s in finance at Johns Hopkins University.
Dearnley serves on the Little Rock Tech Park Board, the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Board, Fifty for the Future, Membership Committee and Board of Directors, Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum and Vistage International. She has professional experience ranging from wealth management, as both financial and credit analysts; asset management; development and brokerage.
Andrew Faulkner
Staley Technologies
Andrew Faulkner serves as the owner and CEO of Staley Technologies in Little Rock. Prior to purchasing Staley Technologies, Faulkner owned and operated Advanced POS Solutions. Advanced POS Solutions was a leading value added reseller of point-of-sale solutions and received numerous industry accolades. In 2018, Faulkner completed the acquisition of Staley Technologies and the subsequent merger with Advanced POS Solutions. Through organic growth and multiple acquisitions under his leadership, the company has rapidly grown into a national technology player with over 250 employees and offices in Little Rock; Springdale; Atlanta; Orlando; Columbus, Ohio; Lansing, Michigan; Boise, Idaho; and Los Angeles.
Staley Technologies deploys commercial technology nationwide to help clients stay relevant in ever changing environments. Faulkner is committed to providing the best possible service, exemplified in the company’s 200 W2 technicians across the country.
Bob Fehlman
Simmons First National Corporation
and Simmons Bank
Bob Fehlman was named chief executive officer of Simmons First National Corporation and Simmons Bank effective Jan. 1, 2023. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, he served as president and chief operating officer. With more than 30 years of experience with Simmons in finance and accounting, he has served as CFO, treasurer and controller and in audit, serving as audit manager and IT auditor. He also provided critical support for merger and acquisition activity, analyst and investor meetings and leading the company’s capital management. Fehlman started his career in public accounting before joining Simmons. A certified public accountant, Fehlman is a graduate of Henderson State University.
Terry Fitch
Good Day Farm
Terry Fitch serves as chief executive officer at Good Day Farm, bringing decades of leadership experience and business expertise. Fitch spent more than 20 years at Coca-Cola Enterprises and the Coca-Cola Company, leading both domestic and international marketing and sales. After transitioning out of the beverage industry, he dove into the world of building and leading hydroponic growing operations in both Colorado and Arkansas. He most recently served as president of Hydrofarm Holdings Group Inc. In this role, he further established the legacy of Hydrofarm by applying his knowledge of supply chain management, operations and market share expansion. His experience in hydroponics led him to the cannabis industry.
Through his wide array of experience, Terry unifies the efficiency of a Fortune 100 company with the ingenuity of the hydroponics industry.
Ryan Flynn
Network Services Group
Ryan Flynn was named president of Network Services Group in late 2013. Network Services Group provides IT support and voice-over IP telephone solutions for many businesses across the state. Under Flynn’s leadership, NSG has grown from 11 employees and a single location in North Little Rock to more than 85 employees and three locations in Arkansas. Flynn also has served as president of the Cabot Rotary Club, two terms on the city council of Cabot, on the Cabot Parks and Recreation Commission and on the Lonoke County Election Commission.
Elizabeth Smiley Glasbrenner
Smiley Technologies
Elizabeth Smiley Glasbrenner is a co-founder of Smiley Technologies Inc. Having served as president and CEO since 2015, she drives the strategic direction and financial performance of the company with the input and support of her executive management team and with a passion for customer service. Her vision for Smiley Technologies is shaped and influenced by her experience building and managing the customer support, operations, conversion and audit functions of Smiley Technologies when the company was first established in 2002.
Her previous experience includes both development and special events roles at Carolinas Healthcare Foundation, Children’s Miracle Network and National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, Col.
Glasbrenner has a unique interest in communities and helping those in need. She has developed and managed corporate giving programs for her family’s limited partnership. She has a bachelor of science in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in marketing and management.
Janet Harris
UA Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Janet Harris has served as executive director/CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute since 2022 and has been with the institute since 2016. Harris’ achievements at the institute include the development of strong and collaborative teams, building and executing convening services aligned with the institute’s mission and envisioning creative marketing and technology strategies to tell the story of Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller and the institute’s impact.
Specific achievements include building staff capacity in professional meeting design, facilitating dialogue and deliberation as well as creating educational programs that draw on Winthrop Rockefeller’s legacy, including the institute’s Walks with the Governor workshop. Harris speaks to groups frequently on the history and legacy of Gov. Rockefeller and is trained in facilitation and dialogue. Before joining WRI, Harris spent 20 years as a public administration professional in Arkansas, holding several executive leadership roles in state government. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a bachelor’s in public administration from the University of Central Arkansas.
Brock Hoskins
Garver
Brock Hoskins is chair of Garver’s management committee and became the Arkansas company’s ninth president and CEO during the firm’s 100th year. Founded in 1919, Garver is an employee-owned, multidisciplined engineering, planning and environmental services firm with more than 1,000 employees across the United States. It has been recognized as one of the best firms of its kind in the nation.
With more than three decades of experience, all of which have been with Garver, Hoskins has been responsible for designing and managing key infrastructure projects involving roadways, bridges, interchanges, airports, parking lots, parking decks, storm drainage, wastewater treatment and collection systems and site development.
Hoskins is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering. He founded and serves on the board of the Christian Orphan Fund, which has financially helped more than 150 families with adoptions over the past nine years. Brock has been recognized with several prestigious awards in recent years – notably the University of Arkansas Distinguished Alumni award in 2021 and the Arkansas 250.
Richard Howe
Inuvo
Richard Howe is an accomplished entrepreneur, technology executive and board member. He received a Bachelor of Engineering from Concordia University, where he graduated first in his class, and a Master of Engineering from McGill University, where he was a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Scholar. His business successes have included building multimillion-dollar startups, running billion-dollar corporations, merging public and private companies, acquiring strategic assets, reinventing technology businesses and developing high performing teams across three continents. He has been involved in M&A activities in excess of $1 billion dollars and has served as an officer of two public companies.
Howe is a patented inventor having specialized in machine learning, analytics and big data technologies that have addressed problems in marketing, fraud detection and risk management. He currently is the chairman and CEO of artificial-intelligence technology innovator Inuvo, a roughly $80 million-a-year business that has reimagined how information is captured and used to create online audiences for brands and agencies.
Kevin Huchingson
Colliers | Arkansas
Kevin Huchingson is chairman and CEO of Colliers | Arkansas as well as a founding partner of Tempus Real Estate Partners. He joined the Colliers’ (then known as Barnes, Quinn, Flake & Anderson) brokerage team in 1993, became a principal in 1997, was elected president in 2002 and became chairman/CEO in 2017. He has guided the firm through several mergers including its most recent 2016 merger with Irwin Partners in Little Rock as well as the firm’s 2004 affiliation with Colliers. Huchingson remains active in industrial, office and investment brokerage as well as consulting assignments for select clients. He has been honored with membership into Colliers’ exclusive Everest Club each year for the past 12 years in recognition of Colliers brokers nationwide who have performed in the top 10 percent of brokerage, valuation and corporate solutions based on revenue production.
Marla Johnson
LeapXL
From 1995 through 2018, Marla Johnson focused on scaling complex internet-related applications and digital marketing efforts for businesses across multiple industries as CEO of the pioneering company Aristotle Inc. During that period of remarkable innovation, she became adept at prognosticating and advancing game-changing tech innovation – often on a speaking circuit, telling her audiences what was next and how they could ride the wave of digital transformation.
In 2018, Johnson and Brian Stack launched LeapXL to deliver on a dream of simple, fast cloud computing with no code tools for data connection, application development and deployment (Platform-as-a-Service), resulting in lightning-speed development and deployment of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), collapsing months of agile development into a few days. LeapXL has found a successful foothold in the financial services and tax areas by helping firms securely modernize and scale with innovative fintech to quickly respond to today’s demanding customers and get more products out to market faster without breakage.
Kenny Kinley
Edafio
As president and CEO of Edafio Technology Partners, Kenny Kinley leads the charge in helping, building and protecting clients’ businesses through information technology, cloud computing, M365 and cybersecurity solutions.
Kinley joined Edafio as vice president in 2011, was named president six years later and assumed the CEO role in January 2020. During his tenure with the firm, he led the expansion of the client base both geographically and by industry and oversaw strengthened marketing and business development capabilities — initiatives that led to significant growth in market penetration and revenues earned.
His near 25 years of experience in delivering technology products and services feature two decades in senior management. Prior to joining Edafio, Kinley held various client relationship and business development roles at Acxiom.
Kinley graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting; he is also a CPA.
Laura R. Landreaux
Entergy Arkansas
Laura Landreaux ensures that Entergy Arkansas meets the power needs of more than 722,000 customers every day. She is also responsible for driving the company’s financial and operational business results, customer service, safety, resource planning, economic development, employee development and regulatory and governmental affairs.
She became president and CEO on July 1, 2018. Her career with Entergy Arkansas began in 2007 in the legal department. She then became manager of regulatory affairs for Entergy Arkansas in 2012. She went on to hold other leadership positions, including finance director and vice president of regulatory affairs, where she was responsible for interactions between Entergy Arkansas and the Arkansas Public Service Commission.
A native of Little Rock, Landreaux earned her juris doctor and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and in law school was named to the Arkansas Law Review.
John David Lindsey
Lindsey & Associates
John David Lindsey, the son of Lindsey & Associates founder Jim Lindsey was born in Fayetteville in February 1971. He later graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1989 and the University of Arkansas in 1994. After a brief mini-tour professional golf career, he joined Lindsey & Associates in 1996 as general manager. Since 1999, he has served as principal broker and has been instrumental in the company’s growth. Under his leadership, Lindsey & Associates has also expanded to include three locations ahead of its 50th anniversary.
Lindsey says, “Working for the company has been the professional honor of my lifetime. I’m eternally grateful for my father, JW Gabel and everyone who has contributed to Lindsey & Associates’ success.”
Sam Lynd
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
Sam Lynd was named administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in April 2020. Most recently, he served as COO for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis and administrator of Baptist’s system-wide emergency services. He joined Baptist Memorial Health Care as a Frank S. Groner Administrative Fellow in 2011 and was an assistant administrator at two Baptist Memorial hospitals, including NEA Baptist, before becoming administrator and CEO of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton in 2014.
Lynd holds a master’s degree in health administration and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a bachelor’s degree in health care management from the University of Alabama. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves as president-elect of the Tennessee Center for Health Workforce Development as well as a member of the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Small or Rural Hospital Executive Committee.
Alan Morse
Ritter Communications
Alan Morse joined Ritter Communications in February 2014 as president and was named CCEO in October 2019. He is a highly accomplished telecommunications executive with an extensive background in strategic planning, sales, marketing, network engineering and operations. Immediately prior to joining Ritter, he was the principal of the Morse Consulting Group, having successfully served as president and CEO of Integrated Mobile Inc. leading up to its 2012 acquisition.
From 2002 to 2007, Morse was COO for iPCS Inc., a publicly traded wireless communications affiliate of Sprint based in Chicago with service areas spanning 15 states. Prior to that, he was COO for Telepacific Communications Inc., a private equity-backed CLEC providing business internet, telephone and data services in the California and Nevada markets.
Alan is a graduate of Ohio State University. He’s involved in numerous philanthropic organizations including the American Cancer Society, the Arkansas State University EARIS business incubator program, the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio State University President’s Club.
Michael Morton
Central Arkansas Nursing Centers
Michael Morton incorporated Central Arkansas Nursing Centers in 1990 and has grown it into one of the state’s largest administrative services companies. It services 37 skilled care facilities, an assisted living facility and numerous other related businesses including a group purchasing organization, pharmacies, a mobile imaging lab and more, all owned by Morton. Central Arkansas Nursing Centers, based in Fort Smith, administers an annual payroll of roughly $150 million for more than 5,000 employees.
An Oklahoma native, Morton graduated from college at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah in 1972 and went to work as an accountant in an Oklahoma nursing home. By 1976, he and a partner had purchased a nursing home in Booneville and later built one in Perry County. Two years later, they purchased two more nursing homes in Hope, all before Morton’s 30th birthday and all of which he still owns and operates.
Michael Paladino
RevUnit
As co-founder of RevUnit, Machael Paladino says he “built a team of really smart people who like to nerd out on technology and data.” Launched by Paladino and Joe Saumweber, RevUnit has grown into a thriving company that works to create real change in some of the world’s largest companies through data and process. It works to create enterprise change faster by partnering with leaders to help them turn data into insights, reinvent critical processes and upskill their teams.
RevUnit has been named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies four times, the Entrepreneur 360 list of America’s most innovative businesses and Entrepreneur’s top company cultures. Paladino is the former CTO for Arkansas startups Overwatch and Btiques, and he served in various tech leadership roles at Rockfish Interactive. The Little Rock native also served as chair of the Northwest Arkansas Tech Council.
Gary Paxson
White River Health
Gary Paxson, RN, BSN, MS, FACHE, is president and CEO of White River Health. Paxson provides vision and leadership to the organization’s mission of providing quality health care and improving the health of communities. Focusing on employee engagement, business fundamentals as well as innovation and growth, Paxson led the successful rebrand of the organization in 2022. At WRH, “Caring Beyond Healthcare” represents a deep-rooted dedication to building relationships that will ensure better health and brighter futures for the communities we serve. Stone County Medical Center and White River Medical Center earned the Chartis Center for Rural Health Top 100 designations since Paxson assumed leadership in 2019.
He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and serves on the boards of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Arkansas Health Executives Forum Board, Arkansas Hospital Association as well as the Lyon College Board of Visitors.
Brandon Pinkerton
HP Engineering Inc.
Brandon Pinkerton is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation and the CEO of HP Engineering Inc. He grew up asking the question, “Why?” He sought answers to everyday problems and was fascinated by the stories those answers provided. He graduated from the University of Arkansas and became a licensed professional engineer (PE) with licensure in 49 states and Puerto Rico. In 2007, he and his business partner opened HP Engineering with two employees.
Fifteen years later, HP has grown into one of the largest engineering design firms in the region, with almost 100 employees and five offices in Rogers, Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Phoenix. In addition to his role as CEO, Pinkerton leads the company’s strategic planning and business development efforts. He has been the managing principal for HP’s tribal work, electrical design teams and alternative energy source designs. In the spring of 2022, he was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Electrical Engineering for his achievements in the engineering industry.
Molly Rawn
Experience Fayetteville
Molly Rawn is the CEO of Experience Fayetteville, the city’s destination marketing organization. She is responsible for the organization’s $4.8 million budget and 19 full-time employees. During her tenure, the city has seen unprecedented tourism growth including its highest HMR tax collection month on record. Rawn was a member of the leadership staff that opened the Scott Family Amazeum, an interactive museum in Bentonville, where she served as director of development and communications, overseeing the completion of the museum’s $28.5 million capital campaign.
After growing up in Paragould and Little Rock, Rawn relocated to Fayetteville to attend the University of Arkansas, and decided to make it her family’s permanent home. She is passionate about community engagement, community building and expanding opportunities for women in civic leadership.
Shanna Richardson
Boy Scouts of America Quapaw Area Council
The only true failure in life is not trying. This simple yet profound statement summarizes Shanna Richardson’s professional scouting career, displaying a strong determination to take challenges and risks, with a firm belief that through focused efforts and persistence — positive results will follow.
She is a seasoned professional with more than 22 years in the movement. Growing and sustaining scouting is her true passion, and Richardson has taken on the role of CEO at Quapaw Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, covering 39 counties in Arkansas. She began her scouting career in 2001 as a “scoutreach paraprofessional” at the Trapper Trails Council in Ogden, Utah. She moved on to become a district executive at the Utah National Parks Council in Provo, a field Director for the Central Florida Council in Orlando and the assistant scout executive at the Gulf Stream Council in Palm Beach, Florida.
Chris Roberts
Encore Bank
Chris Roberts is chairman and CEO of Encore Bank, a private boutique bank headquartered in Little Rock. Roberts’ journey with Encore Bank began in 2019 when he became the chairman and CEO of the Capital Bank in Little Rock, a small bank founded in 1997. With just seven associates, $159 million in assets, one office in Little Rock and a vision to build a different kind of bank, the University of Arkansas finance graduate and his team rebranded that small Arkansas bank as Encore Bank and within three years turned it into one of the fastest growing banks in the country, according to data collected from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Under Roberts’ leadership, Encore Bank has completed three successful common equity raises, adding more than $368 million in capital, and expanded its footprint into 20 high-growth markets across eight states. As of Feb. 15, Encore had $3.58 billion in total assets, more than 1,900 shareholders and approximately 330 employees.
Randy Scott
Farmers Bank and Trust
Randy Scott is president and CEO of Farmers Bank and Trust, a $350 million bank headquartered in Blytheville. He has been in banking for 33 years, including the last 23 years with Farmers.
Scott currently serves as chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association. He also served as chairman of the Arkansas State Bank Board in 2019, where he continues to serve on the board. In addition, he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at Arkansas Northeastern College.
His previous community involvement includes serving as a member of the board of directors of the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Chamber Executive Committee and then as president of the organization. He recently was recognized by the chamber with its Lifetime Community Achievement Award.
John Selig
Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care
John Selig is president and CEO of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC), an organization working with health care providers, advocates and state leaders to improve the health of individuals and communities while reducing health care costs. Prior to joining AFMC, he was vice president of Optum Public Sector, where he led business development efforts in the southeastern United States.
From 2005 to 2016, Selig served under three governors as the director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services. While there, he led work on the state’s private option approach to Medicaid expansion and its multipayer transformation to episodes of care and patient-centered medical homes. His previous positions for the state include director of Behavioral Health and director of In-Home Health Services.
Matt Troup
Conway Regional
Matt Troup has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the health care industry, serving in various administrative roles at hospitals in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. Troup came to Arkansas in 2014 as vice president of ancillary and support services at CHI St. Vincent, and was named president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System within one year. He is an energetic leader whose tenure has seen historic growth in net revenue and increases in employee and physician engagement with the organization achieving a best place to work designation six years in a row. Troup views healthcare as a faith-driven calling — a sentiment that is reflected in the way he interacts with his team each day.
Staff from every facet of the health system are inspired to be bold, exceptional and to answer their calling to help others.
COOs
COO
/ sē ō ō /
noun
plural noun: COOs
a chief operations (or operating) officer, a senior executive responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a company or other institution.
Courtney Bishop
Pinnacle Pointe Behavioral Healthcare System
Courtney Bishop is passionate about providing the best possible care to Arkansas’ children. As the COO of Pinnacle Pointe Hospital, the state’s largest mental health facility devoted to the care of children, she is focused on developing and implementing leadership initiatives to improve processes throughout the hospital and continuum of care. Providing the best possible environment for healing and growth is her goal. Courtney previously served as the director of assessment and referral at Pinnacle Pointe since 2017. She is a licensed professional counselor and has worked in the mental health field since 2004 as a clinic director, primary therapist, mobile assessor and associate professor at Ouachita Baptist University.
She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and biology from Ouachita, a master’s in counseling psychology from the University of Central Arkansas and her Ed.S. in counseling from George Washington University.
Christina Clark
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
As chief operating officer of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Christina Clark provides critical oversight for the day-to-day operations of the state’s only academic medical center. She leads campus operations, information technology, police, security surveillance and emergency preparedness for UAMS. She also serves as a liaison for both internal and external stakeholders.
Clark was appointed the institution’s first institution-wide chief operating office in January 2019. Under her leadership, UAMS completed a $150 million energy project, which has and will continue to reduce carbon emissions by reducing energy use. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). She received her master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in health care from UALR in May 2017. Clark sits on the Little Rock Tech Park Board and serves as secretary/treasurer for the Proton Center of Arkansas board.
Boris Dover
First Community Bank
With more than 40 years of community banking experience, Boris Dover is the president and chief operating officer of First Community Bank, a locally owned and managed financial institution that opened in 1997 in Batesville. It currently operates 34 locations across Arkansas and Missouri. First Community Bank opened for business at 710 St. Louis Street in Batesville with 14 employees, Dover included, and $3.5 million in capital. Today, the bank has grown to 565 employees and is proud to be the ninth largest bank chartered in Arkansas.
A Batesville native, Dover graduated from Batesville High School in 1975 and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in personnel management and accounting equivalency from Arkansas State University. Additionally, he completed the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University.
William Fletcher
Kinco Constructors
William Fletcher began his construction career as a summer intern for Kinco Constructors while he was a construction management student at Auburn University. He worked under a young superintendent named Doug Wasson. Fast forward to today, and Fletcher has his hands on all aspects of the company as the executive vice president/chief operating officer, working with Wasson, who now is the Kinco president/CEO.
As EVP/COO, Fletcher oversees the company’s finances and workforce on a daily basis, while working with the leadership team of Kinco to achieve the company’s long-term vision and mission. Kinco Constructors is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023 and Kinco would not be where it is today without the contributions of Fletcher, who encompasses the company’s tagline of building excellence.
Steve Grandfield
Lexicon Inc.
Steven Grandfield, chief operating officer at Lexicon Inc., has served in several management positions with the company, most recently as president of Lexicon Fabrication Group, which includes Prospect Steel, Custom Metals and Steel Fabricators of Monroe. From the company’s headquarters in Little Rock, he oversees all of Lexicon’s daily operations, reviews the efficiency of current business functions and collaborates with executive management to set and meet business objectives.
In his nearly 20 years of service with Lexicon, Grandfield has been part of numerous key projects, including the recent Tesla Assembly building in Austin, Texas, and many Amazon facilities across the country. Before joining the company, he served as a structural engineer at SEMF Holdings Consulting Engineers and Pitt & Sherry Consulting Engineers in Australia. Grandfield is an honors graduate from the University of Tasmania in Australia with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.
David Jackson
Simmons Foods
David Jackson joined Simmons in 1991. With more than three decades at Simmons, Jackson has proven himself to be a thoughtful and effective leader, building cohesive teams and delivering record growth and performance across multiple business units. His leadership approach was defined early in his career at Simmons under Mark Simmons’ guidance, working in all areas of poultry operations before being named plant manager, complex director and ultimately president of Simmons Prepared Foods.
Named COO in 2016, Jackson’s value-centric approach and commitment to a people-first culture have been an integral part of the company’s success. With more than 9,000 team members, Simmons Foods Inc. and its affiliates serve customers in all 50 states and more than 40 countries. Jackson received a bachelor’s degree in administrative management from the University of Arkansas and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
William Jones IV
Sissy’s Log Cabin
Born and raised in the Natural State, William Jones IV has played an integral role in expanding the Sissy’s Log Cabin footprint across Arkansas and into Tennessee. As chief operations officer and a member of the executive board of directors for the family-owned jewelry store, Jones focuses on perfecting what truly sets Sissy’s apart: extraordinary customer service and a culture of caring, both for its employees and for the communities it serves.
Jones graduated from the University of Central Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance and went on to attend the Gemological Institute of America, becoming a graduate gemologist in 2013.
Jordan Martin
Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners
Jordan Martin, COO of Cushman & Wakefield | Sage Partners, began his real estate management career in 2002 working for Cassidy Turley (formerly Colliers Turley Martin Tucker and now Cushman & Wakefield), one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the country. In addition to his extensive experience working directly for Cassidy Turley, he also has experience working as a consultant for Yardi Systems and working as an independent consultant.
As a consultant, Martin worked with clients of all sizes, including Fortune 500 companies, implementing Yardi software and assisting companies with their month-end and year-end processes as well as identifying and implementing solutions allowing companies to gain efficiencies. His areas of expertise include Yardi subject matter, strategic process improvement, software implementations, financial reporting and analysis, internal controls and compliance, budgeting and forecasting, as well as project management.
Mike Mudd
Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
Mike Mudd joined Mercy in 2022 from Rochester Regional Health in Rochester, New York, where he served as COO of service lines for the five-hospital system. His extensive background in health care includes supervising operational leadership, managing physician relations and working closely with nursing leadership. As COO at Mercy, Mudd collaborates with Mercy Hospitals Arkansas President Ryan Gehrig to drive the hospital’s organizational vision, operational strategy and day-to-day operations.
Mudd has maintained an active role in charitable organizations throughout his career in health care, including involvement with the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society among others. He has already made an impact since joining Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, and he is an important contributor to the mission of Mercy’s ongoing $500 million expansion in the region.
Payton Smith
Metro Disaster Specialists
Payton Smith began his career at Metro Disaster Specialists throughout high school and college when he obtained knowledge of the business and completed the company’s management training program. He served as Metro’s restoration production manager for six years. In 2015, Payton received the highest certification in the restoration industry, Certified Restorer®, through the Restoration Industry Association and accepted a sales and marketing role.
In 2018, he was named the company’s chief operating officer and continues to oversee the operations of the Restoration Division. He is affiliated with numerous industry and insurance organizations, serves on multiple business and charity boards and devotes many hours to community service representing Metro Disaster Specialists.
Payton attended North Little Rock High School and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.
Wallie Sprick
WDD Architecture
Wallie Sprick joined WDD in 1984 immediately after earning a five-year professional degree in architecture from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Sprick was promoted to partner and director of production in 1994. As director of production, he schedules the production staff, coordinates project milestones and implements the firm’s quality control plan. Sprick was elected COO of WDD in 2012. He has been the project architect on a variety of building types, including commercial, medical, educational, financial, criminal justice facilities and federal projects.
Marilyn Strickland
Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care
Marilyn Strickland is the chief operating officer for Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and is the senior executive responsible for AFMC’s overall operations. These operational areas and services include Arkansas Medicaid and Medicare health care provider outreach and education, multidisciplinary contact centers, health utilization management, information technology, marketing, communications, business intelligence, program evaluation and data mining services.
She came to AFMC with more than 40 years of experience in public-sector health care. Before joining the AFMC team, she gained extensive experience with the Arkansas Department of Human Services including serving in the COO role at Arkansas Medicaid. Today, Strickland champions AFMC’s mission to promote excellence in health and health care through education and evaluation. She supports AFMC’s more than 300 health care professionals and works throughout the organization to ensure that AFMC remains at the forefront of health care reform, all the while improving health care for her fellow Arkansans.
Don Swartz
Edafio
As Edafio’s chief operating officer, Don Swartz is responsible for internal operations, processes and systems supporting staff associates and customer services. As the newest member of the executive team, he leads quality and productivity initiatives, spearheads the ongoing development of Edafio’s capacity and scale and oversees and manages the integration of future acquisitions.
His background speaks to the versatility of his leadership skills and comprises an impressive track record of building world-class customer service organizations and operationalizing and delivering complex technology capabilities. Swartz brings more than 30 years of technology and operational leadership experience with regional, national and international businesses including Fortune 100 and 500 companies. He has held executive positions at CompassMSP, Flexential, QTS, Tradeweb Direct, Freddie Mac and Capital One, among other software, services and platform businesses. Swartz earned his BSEE in electrical engineering from DeVry Institute and resides in northern Virginia.
Quinten Whiteside
Wright Lindsey Jennings
Quinten Whiteside is the chief operating officer of Wright Lindsey Jennings (WLJ), one of Arkansas’s largest and oldest law firms. With nearly 80 attorneys, WLJ offers comprehensive legal guidance across more than 50 practice areas and 20 industries. An experienced litigator, Whiteside’s practice focuses on administrative law, government relations, transportation, landlord/tenant concerns and health care. Mid-South Super Lawyers named him a “Rising Star” in 2021 and 2022, and he was featured in “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch” in 2021, 2022 and 2023 for insurance and transportation law.
Whiteside spent six years on the KUAR/KLRE board, including as chair of the recruitment and governance committee, and graduated from Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXVII. He currently serves on the boards of the First Tee of Central Arkansas and the ACCESS Cup Golf Tournament.
Jamie Wiggins,
Ph.D., MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FACHE
Arkansas Children’s
Jamie Wiggins serves as the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Arkansas Children’s. An action-oriented health care leader, Wiggins is steadfast in his commitment to improving quality of care and delivering excellence. He oversees the patient care services and operations team and is ultimately responsible for developing, implementing and improving the systems that deliver the best outcomes for the children of Arkansas. As a registered nurse, Wiggins has clinical experience and operational expertise that informs a unique perspective focused on enhancing patient experience, growing programs and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
Wiggins has a Ph.D. in Nursing, is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is a certified “Nurse Executive-Advanced” by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. He has a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing and health systems leadership as well as an MBA.
Lindsay Wilmott
Generations Bank
Lindsay Wilmott was appointed to serve as chief operations officer of Generations Bank in August 2019. Before that, she spent time working within the bank’s compliance department. During this time, she obtained her “Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager” certification.
Wilmott began her banking career as a part-time teller in 2006 while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Arkansas. Upon graduation, she accepted a full-time role within the Rogers branch, working as head teller and later assistant branch manager. Shortly thereafter, the Rogers branch was acquired by what would later become Generations Bank. This would be the first of three acquisitions in which Wilmott assisted the bank. In 2016, she played an integral part in establishing the bank’s loan operations department, serving simultaneously as a supervisor for the department and as a lending compliance officer. She moved to work fully within the compliance department in 2018.
CFOs
CFO
/ sē ef ō /
noun
noun: CFO; plural noun: CFOs
a chief financial officer, a senior executive with responsibility for the financial affairs of a corporation or other institution.
Brent Beaulieu
Baptist Health
Brent Beaulieu is the chief financial officer for Baptist Health. In this role, he is responsible for all finance, revenue cycle, supply chain, risk management and real estate activities in the organization. Beaulieu joined Baptist Health in 2007 as assistant vice president of finance and has been an invaluable part of leading the system’s financial operations ever since. Prior to joining Baptist Health, he spent nine years as a CPA, specializing in health care matters with national accounting firm BKD. He received a degree in accounting from Harding University.
Beaulieu also lends his expertise to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas, where he began serving on the finance committee in 2021 and joined the full board for 2022. He is past president of the Arkansas chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and also served on the national Principles and Practices Board from 2013-2016. He was a member of the Health Care Expert Panel for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants from 2010-2013.
Jennifer Bridges
OrthoArkansas
Jennifer Bridges has responsibility for the financial operations of OrthoArkansas, which includes multiple clinic locations, three ambulatory surgery centers, an insurance company and a real estate entity. Bridges joined OrthoAkansas in 2020, bringing with her more than 15 years of accounting, finance and leadership experience. Her background includes experience in private equity, nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies. She earned her MBA from the University of Arkansas and undergraduate accounting degree from Arkansas Tech University.
She currently serves as the treasurer of the board of directors for Journey Church–Central Arkansas and the treasurer of the board for OrthoArkansas Insurance Company LLC and the advisory council for Christian Leadership Alliance.
Jay Brogdon
Simmons First National Corporation
and Simmons Bank
Jay Brogdon was named president and chief financial officer of Simmons First National Corporation and Simmons Bank effective Jan. 1. Prior to assuming these roles, he served as EVP and treasurer. Upon joining Simmons in 2021, Brogdon was instrumental in negotiating its acquisition of Spirit of Texas Bancshares Inc., a $3.2 billion-asset bank. In his current role, Brogdon is responsible for leading strategy, investor relations, financial planning and investment as well as trust and estate administrative services. Prior to joining the company, Brogdon served as managing director of investment banking where he advised clients on transactions totaling more than $15 billion. Brogdon is a graduate of Harding University.
Bryan Bruich
Nabholz
Nabholz CFO Bryan Bruich’s 15 years with the company have been marked by dynamic changes and growth. During his 10-year tenure as CFO, Nabholz’ sales have more than doubled, reaching the $1 billion mark last fiscal year. Over the same period, the company has increased its number of business units from 22 to 30, a feat made possible by doubling its number of employees to include over 1,500 people.
As CFO, Bruich oversees Nabholz’ accounting, human resources, legal and risk management groups as well as the company’s surety and banking relations, health-and-wellness program and clinics and equipment fleet. He also serves as the head crawfish and gumbo chef for employee and client cookouts.
Bruich currently serves on the board for Conway Regional Health Systems. He is a licensed CPA with the Arkansas Board of Public Accountancy, a member of the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants and an active alum of the University of Central Arkansas, where he received his bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Joe Bumpers
Crews & Associates
Joe Bumpers serves as the chief financial officer for Crews. His area of responsibilities include preparing and reporting of the firm’s financial information, accounting, accounts payable, payroll, human resources and self-clearing operations (settlements, custody and customer transactions). He also manages the firm’s liquidity and facilitates credit as well as oversees the firm’s risk management policies and practices. Bumpers has been with Crews for 20 years as the firm’s CFO. Previously, he served for 10 years in similar capacities as the vice president of finance for Americana Foods, the manufacturing entity for TCBY Enterprises Inc.. In that role, he was responsible for the accounting, finance, human resources and warehousing and logistics for the manufacturing plant. He also spent nine years at Ernst & Young in the audit department as a senior manager and serviced a wide range of industries from aerospace, retail, transportation, franchising and manufacturing.
David R. Cobb
ArcBest
David R. Cobb is the chief financial officer for ArcBest. With more than 30 years of experience in finance and accounting, Cobb leads the team responsible for overseeing and managing the company’s financial activities to ensure ArcBest is well-positioned for financial success and long-term growth. His thorough knowledge of the company’s finances and operations and his experience working with multinational and publicly traded corporations make Cobb a critical part of helping develop and execute ArcBest’s growth-focused business strategy.
Cobb supports teams that manage external reporting with the SEC, tax reporting and filing, internal audits and all the transactional elements of generating a solid cash flow. He also oversees treasury management and communicating financial results to the investment community.
Jason Evins
C.R. Crawford Construction
Jason Evins joined C.R. Crawford Construction in 2016 as human resources and investment director. He advanced to his current position of CFO in 2019.
Prior to joining the company, Evins served as senior real estate manager and senior human resources manager for Walmart. With years of experience in real estate and finance, Evins lends his ability to steer the company’s financial systems and performance, which is reflected in C.R. Crawford’s growth and success. Under his financial leadership, the company remains debt free and well positioned to be aggressive but flexible as market conditions allow for future growth.
Evins holds a BSBA in accounting and MBA from the University of Arkansas. He is a graduate of Leadership Benton County, serves as a board member of the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust and is a member of the UA Walton College MBA Alumni Advisory Board.
Staci Gasaway
Seal Solar
Staci Gasaway serves as chief financial officer of Seal Solar, directing the company’s accounting, financing and human resources activities. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She enjoys living and working in North Little Rock, particularly the historic district of Argenta. Prior to joining the Seal Solar team, she spent most of her accounting and finance career at CFO Network providing accounting and finance services to more than 20 companies across multiple industries for over 10 years.
Gasaway found her niche in construction accounting and finance and has had the opportunity to focus exclusively in this industry since early 2021. Her passion is helping people by providing accurate financial metrics while contributing to a positive and enjoyable work environment.
Brandon Gorman
Arkansas Rural Health Partnership
Brandon Gorman is the chief financial officer for the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP), an organization whose mission is to create and implement sustainable community solutions to improve the health care infrastructure and strengthen health care delivery in south Arkansas.
Gorman, a CPA, is responsible for promoting cost-saving and revenue-producing strategies that benefit the member organizations of ARHP. He successfully oversees millions of dollars in grant funding and hospital operating budgets each year and consistently finds innovative approaches to meet the needs of the hospitals he serves.
Born, raised in southeast Arkansas, Gorman has a unique understanding of the importance of rural health care. He is an active member of the Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Arkansas Healthcare Financial Management Association and is the past chairman of the Arkansas Healthcare Financial Management Association’s Audit Committee. Brandon received his degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas.
Laura Grimes
Conway Area Chamber of Commerce
Laura Grimes has been the CFO for the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and Conway Development Corporation for 12 years. Raised in Springdale, she graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1992 with a degree in accounting. Grimes is a certified public accountant and has experience working in public and private accounting.
Grimes has a desire to serve her community, and working with these nonprofit entities has been the perfect fit. Since her start, organizational revenues have nearly doubled as have the number of employees. The Chamber and its sister organizations have completed a number of ambitious projects and the chamber has twice been named National Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Jeff Holt
Stallion Transportation Group
Jeff Holt has been the chief financial officer of Stallion Transportation Group in Beebe since it started in August 1992.
Having earned an accounting degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Holt was working at his sister’s insurance company when Butch Rice, CEO and president of Stallion, approached him about joining his startup company. Rice and Holt had been friends since childhood, having grown up together on the same street in the Rose City neighborhood of North Little Rock.
Holt remembers Stallion’s first full year of revenue being less than $2 million. Stallion has now grown to more than 150 employees and $70 million in annual revenue. Holt credits this success to Stallion being blessed and surrounded with very talented people for the past three decades.
“I have had the benefit over the years of being deeply involved, not just financially, but operationally and strategically as the company has grown,” Holt said.
He is active with numerous organizations and has served on several nonprofit boards, including the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Boys and Girls Club, Gideons International, Rotary International, Salvation Army and the United Way of Central Arkansas.
Lexanne Horton
Ritter Communications
Lexanne Horton was hired as E. Ritter Company’s controller in February of 2015. In October 2019, she was promoted to vice president and controller and today she serves as the CFO of Ritter Communications. She oversees accounting, financial planning and analysis, treasury management, billing, risk management and purchasing. Horton holds an MBA from Union University as well as a BBA in accounting from the University of Memphis.
Prior to joining Ritter, she spent 24 years in the health care industry and started her career with Deloitte and Touche. A native of Jackson, Tennessee, Horton serves on the board of directors for CASA of the 2nd Judicial District of Arkansas Court Appointed Special Advocates, an organization that provides support and advocacy for children who are in the foster system, and serves on the board and the Workforce Development Committee at the Chamber of Commerce of Jonesboro.
Jeremy Jeffery
Jefferson Regional
Jeremy Jeffery serves as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Jefferson Regional. He originally joined the southeast Arkansas health system in 2008, previously serving as vice president of strategy and business analytics and prior to that as controller. Before joining Jefferson Regional, Jeffery was audit manager with HCJ CPAs & Advisors PLLC. He began his career with FORVIS LLP (formerly BKD) in 2003, working in the health care practice.
He received his MBA and bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas. Jeffery is a CPA and fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. He currently sits on the Industry Commerce & Banking Committee of the Arkansas Society of CPAs.
Daniel Lewis
Signature Bank
Daniel J. Lewis has been employed with Signature Bank of Arkansas since June 2004. Lewis is a 1979 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a 1982 graduate of the University of Arkansas Law School with a juris doctorate. He began his banking career at the Bank of Fayetteville (now Arvest) in 1982 and moved to McIlroy Bank and Trust (now Arvest) in 1986 as special assets manager, then later became commercial loan manager. He graduated from the LSU School of Banking in 1990. He returned to Arvest-Fayetteville in 1996 as senior vice president, commercial loan manager and then served as senior vice president/private banking manager. He joined Signature Bank in 2004 as market president in Fayetteville. He was named chief lending officer and secretary in 2010.
Adam K. Motherwell
Beaver Water District
Adam K. Motherwell of Fayetteville joined the Beaver Water District staff in 2014 as the district’s chief financial officer. Motherwell is an honors graduate of the University of Arkansas Walton College of Business with 45 years of experience in corporate auditing, governmental auditing and financial accounting. From 2000 to 2014, Motherwell served as associate dean for finance and administration in the UA Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. His credentials have included certified public accountant (CPA), certified fraud examiner (CFE), UA Credit Union treasurer and chairman of the Audit Committee for the city of Fayetteville. Currently, he serves as chairman for both the southwest section and national audit committees of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).
Sylvia Murchison
Goodwill Industries of Arkansas
Sylvia Murchison is senior vice president and chief financial officer for Goodwill Industries of Arkansas. She is responsible for strategic financial planning and analyzing the organization’s financial strengths and weaknesses. Since joining Goodwill in 2012, the nonprofit has expanded to 44 retail and donation center locations in Arkansas, and revenues have more than doubled to $65 million.
Murchison’s accounting career began at Deloitte and Touche in Little Rock. She then moved into administrative and management roles with Little Rock Hematology Oncology, Arkansas Urology and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. She received two bachelor’s degrees and her MBA from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has been a licensed CPA since 1996. She is a long-standing member and past treasurer of Rotary Club 99 in Little Rock.
Bill Pack
Conway Regional
Bill Pack is the current CFO at Conway Regional Health System. He is responsible for the financial operations of the health system, which includes Conway Regional Medical Center, Conway Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, Dardanelle Regional Medical Center, Conway Regional Surgery Center and numerous outpatient centers and clinics located throughout north Central Arkansas.
Pack has more than 28 years of experience as a CFO in the health care industry. He has become an expert on acquisitions, initiated systems and programs, improved processes, and has developed strategies for hospitals and health systems.
Pack is certified in “Leading Change in Large Distributed Organizations,” is a fellow of the Healthcare Financial Management Association and a certified advanced health care security officer.
John Rogers
Stone Ward
As Stone Ward’s CFO, John Rogers blends equal parts pragmatism and insight as the financial steward for the agency, overseeing billing, human resources and revenues. With more than 30 years of successful experience in financial and computerized information systems, he joined Stone Ward in 2000 after helping lead TCBY to national prominence through the 80s as senior vice president, chief information officer and assistant treasurer. Rogers has served as a member of the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) finance committee and as a speaker and panelist at both AAAA and AMIN agency conferences. A true ambassador of Building Good, he is a member of the Heart of Arkansas United Way Board of Directors, holding past titles of treasurer and chairman. Rogers also volunteered his time as past president for Communities in Schools of Arkansas and volunteers for a local men’s prison ministry. He holds a BS in Business Administration, Accounting and Computer Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Phyllis Rogers
Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care
Phyllis Rogers is the CFO for the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC). She previously served as the CFO of Delta Dental of Arkansas for 17 years and as CFO for Forevercare. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and gained her CPA in 1987. In 2017, Rogers was named Distinguished Alumni of the Year by the UA Little Rock College of Business. In 2013 she was named as Outstanding CPA in Business and Industry by the Arkansas Society of CPAs.
Rogers serves on the board of Ronald McDonald Charities of Arkansas, where she is also treasurer. She is a member of the UA Little Rock College of Business Advisory Council, Rotary Club 99, International Women’s Forum – Arkansas Chapter, Arkansas Executive Forum and Arkansas Women’s Leadership Forum.
Kyle Sanders
NEA Baptist Health System
Kyle Sanders was born in Waco, Texas, and grew up in Newport. After high school, he joined the U.S. Navy and served from 1983 to 1989. He then attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where he received a degree in finance in 1992 and an MBA in 1995. Sanders began his career with NEA Baptist as a financial analyst and quickly became the controller. He became the CFO of the 228-bed NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital in 2012, and in 2019 became the CFO of NEA Baptist Health System, which includes the hospital and NEA Baptist Clinic, the region’s largest multi-specialty group.
Overall, Sanders manages finance for the 2,000-plus employee system with a patient revenue of more than $330 million per year, which has seen steady growth since the opening of a $400 million campus in 2014.
Chris Shepard
Clark Contractors
Chris Shepard is Clark Contractors’ chief financial officer and has more than 13 years of experience in the financial industry. As CFO, Shepard’s primary role is to manage the financial resources of the company, ensuring that it remains financially viable and competitive in the industry. Working closely with other members of Clark Contractors’ leadership team, Shepard develops and implements strategic financial plans that support the company’s overall goals and objectives. He is a critical member of Clark Contractors’ leadership team, providing valuable insights and guidance on all financial matters for the company.
Before joining Clark Contractors, Shepard was the director of operations at The Alotian Club. He also worked at Hudson, Cisne & Co. (now HCJ CPAs & Advisors) for several years. Shepard has a bachelor of accounting from Ouachita Baptist University and is a licensed certified public accountant.
Ashley Sims
Rock Dental Brands
Ashley Sims is the chief financial officer for Rock Dental Brands. She has extensive experience in revenue and expense accounting, forecasting and reporting.
She graduated from Arkansas State University and moved to Little Rock where she later joined Rock Dental Brands as revenue accounting manager, moving on to become controller, then vice president of financial planning and now CFO.
Kellie Sinh
Smiley Technologies
Kellie Sinh is the chief financial officer at Smiley Technologies, leading all accounting, financial planning and analysis functions for the company. Prior to being named CFO, Sinh held various accounting positions within the company. Before her career with Smiley, she was director of financial planning at Windstream Communications, a privately held telecom company headquartered in Little Rock. She was an honors graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration/finance from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Sinh brings a wealth of financial, accounting and business acumen to Smiley and is key in both day-to-day operations, and long-range strategic planning.
Christopher M. Wewers, CPA, CGMA
Southern Bancorp Inc.
More than two decades in banking have provided Christopher Wewers with a wide range of executive experience. He served as COO, CFO and CEO of a number of financial institutions prior to joining Southern Bancorp. Today, he devotes his expertise and experience to serving as the chief financial officer of Southern Bancorp, a mission-focused Community Development Financial Institution committed to creating access to financial opportunity for everyone, no matter the zip code, income level or financial history. Wewers is a proud alum of Henderson State University and the University of Arkansas, is an active member of both the ASCPA and AICPA, sits on the Henderson State University Foundation Board of Directors, and in 2014 was inducted into the Henderson State University Business Hall of Fame.
CIOs/CTOs
CIO/CTO
/ sē tē ō/
noun
noun: CIO/CTO; plural noun: CIOs/CTOs
a chief technology (or technical or information) officer, a senior executive with responsibility for managing the technological requirements of a company or other institution.
Gino Capito
TeleComp
As chief technology officer and one of the original founders of TeleComp, Gino Capito oversees the company’s internal data and security infrastructure and software development divisions. Originally from central Arkansas, he worked as a mechanical engineer for Orbit Valve while attending UA Little Rock until the internet appeared on the scene. Realizing its potential of the Internet, Gino then focused his energies on software development and website creation for businesses needing a web presence. During this time, he changed his college major to computer science and learned more than 15 programming languages.
Capito and his family moved to northwest Arkansas in 1998, and he began working as a network engineer. Shortly thereafter, he co-founded Platinum Technologies, a company focused on networking, servers and Cisco VoIP.
In 2003, he and a partner acquired Dixieland Computers and merged all client bases into what is now known as TeleComp, one of Arkansas’ largest privately owned technology companies, with more than 100 employees in seven offices across Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
Jason Cathey
Bank OZK
With 15 years of experience as a banking technology executive, Jason Cathey is responsible for providing leadership and strategic vision to a diverse Bank OZK team dedicated to the digital transformation of community banking including best-in-class mobile and on,line banking experiences. He also oversees the design, development and deployment of internal technology and data solutions across all Bank OZK lines of business while maintaining strict adherence to regulatory compliance requirements. In addition, Jason oversees OZK Labs, the bank’s in-house innovation hub, repeatedly recognized by the industry as one of the best places to work in fintech.
Cathey previously served as Bank OZK’s Chief Security Officer, directing the overall planning and execution of the information security, third-party risk management, data risk management, data privacy, fraud risk management and corporate security programs.
Eric Chin
Westrock Coffee
Eric Chin serves as the chief information officer of Westrock Coffee Company. He oversees the information technology needs and helps to enable the business to effectively and proactively serve customers through the use of technology. Chin started his career in operations and logistics and has previously worked in the food and grocery, beverage distribution, sporting goods and retail industries.
Chin has held various roles throughout his career including chief operating officer at Mack’s Prairie Wings, division vice president at McLane Company and state operations director at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. He earned a master’s degree in leadership from Baker College and received his BBA from Harding University in Searcy.
Jeff Dean
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Jeff Dean serves as the chief information officer for the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS). He has more than 30 years of experience in the information technology industry and 20 years of experience working for the state. Dean began his IT career at IBM, assisting in the startup of a national support center for the organization. Upon his departure from IBM, he began an IT consulting business with two partners, specializing in enterprise solutions including backup/recovery and high availability.
Dean began his public service career at the Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS) in 2003. While at DIS, he held UNIX systems administrator, enterprise systems director and chief operating officer roles. In January 2016, he accepted the DHS CIO position, and is in the process of modernizing the department’s legacy solutions, eliminating manual processes and reducing duplicate solutions.
Daron Frederick
Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
Daron Frederick was named chief information officer for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas in 2023. He joined the cooperatives in 2013. Frederick’s career before joining the electric cooperatives included a 16-year tenure in the United States Navy, serving as a team leader/developer for an international banking software organization, serving as a chief information officer in the health care industry, working as the general manager of a nationwide tax service, holding the role of vice president/CIO for a national trucking company and serving as the information technology manager for the Arkansas State Supreme Court.
His role as CIO for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas involves guiding the vast technology, information security and communications networks that enable the electric cooperatives to provide reliable, affordable energy to the state’s 1.3 million electric cooperative members.
Scott Hambuchen
First Orion
Scott Hambuchen serves as the CIO at First Orion, the leading provider of branded communication solutions for enterprises and a 2022 “Inc. 5000” company. Throughout his career spanning over three decades, he has held leadership roles at Acxiom and Gryphon Networks.
In his current role, he oversees the development of First Orion’s emerging branded-calling technology, which allows enterprises to brand outgoing phone calls with their name, the reason for calling and the logo on the call recipient’s mobile device.
Rob Horan
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Rob Horan is a senior vice president and serves as chief information officer at Farmers & Merchants Bank. In this role, Horan created and implemented a strategy to modernize banking platforms and to mobile-enable bankers to “take the bank” to the customer. In addition to the information technology teams, he also supports process improvement and efficiency efforts within the bank, is responsible for digital banking, debit, and payment platforms and has oversight of customer support through the bank’s solutions center.
Over the last 30 years, he has served in the operations, finance and technology space for banks and the financial services industry. His primary focus is to make a difference by taking a technology forward approach to serving and supporting customers and teammates in the community banking and large national bank space.
Brian Keltch
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Brian Keltch serves as the associate vice chancellor and chief information officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In his role, he provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives on multiple UA Little Rock campuses. Additionally, he oversees all aspects of the university’s information technology and systems. His belief that IT plays a vital role in tangible campus outcomes helps his team provide high-end support for university priorities.
Key focus areas include an implementation of a new ERP, security hardening and infrastructure upgrades. Prior to joining UA Little Rock, Keltch worked in IT leadership positions with Northrop Grumman for 29 years, most recently in Little Rock, where he was responsible for providing information technology products and services in the state. He holds a master’s degree in systems engineering and software engineering from Southern Methodist University and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree from UA Little Rock.
Steve Krogull
University of Arkansas
Steve Krogull is the chief information officer and associate vice chancellor of information technology services at the University of Arkansas. He began serving in the role as an interim leader in March 2020 before being permanently named to the position a few months later. Krogull joined the UA’s IT Services organization in October 2019 as the associate chief information officer for research and academic technology.
Prior to that, he was at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he served in several leadership roles covering research support, learning solutions and systems engineering. Before Wisconsin, Steve was an adjunct assistant professor and an instructional designer. He has a bachelor’s degree in radio-television communications and a master’s in educational media from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Ann Madea
Simmons Bank
Ann Madea joined Simmons Bank in 2021 and serves as EVP, Chief Information Officer, responsible for the bank’s overall information technology strategy and operations. With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Madea previously served as U.S. CIO for a large, global financial services company. Throughout her career, she has held leadership positions focusing on delivery, strategy, digital transformation, cloud, data and cyber strategies. Passionate about women and girls in technology, she was recently the Executive Sponsor for the Summer Immersion Program for ‘Girls Who Code’, a nonprofit organization that aims to increase the number of women in computer science. Madea is a graduate of University of Illinois at Chicago.
Erin Parker
Arkansas Children’s
Erin Parker, FACHE, MBA, serves as the senior vice president/chief information officer for Arkansas Children’s. She is responsible for leading the organization’s focus on systems security, infrastructure and digital initiatives that make health care more accessible and unified for the organization’s workforce, providers as well as for patients and their caregivers.
A strategic thinker with additional expertise in health care compliance, Erin is a dynamic leader with a deep knowledge of the state’s only pediatric health system serving close to 700,000 children in Arkansas. She has a track record of driving culture to transform the use of technology in access to care, provision of care and the continuum of care. Parker has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and is certified in health care compliance (CHC) and health care privacy compliance (CHPC). She is a fellow in the American College of HealthCare Executives (ACHE) and serves locally on the Rock Region Metro Board of Directors.
Rasesh Patel
Apptegy
Rasesh Patel came to Apptegy with unmatched experience developing software engineering teams. Prior to becoming Apptegy’s chief technology officer, Patel spent 24 years at Acxiom Corporation, where he started as a software engineer and rose through the ranks to senior director of product engineering.
Patel has a reputation for being the “fixer.” Much of his work at Acxiom involved consulting with engineering teams to increase velocity and ship projects more quickly. At Apptegy, he’s built the engineering organization from 15 to nearly 150 engineers. His leadership has not only allowed the ed-tech company’s technical team to spread across geographies but also expand its products. Keith Jordan, a long-term colleague of Rasesh’s, described him as a strong counter-balance for most technical leaders: “Rasesh considers the engineer first and the work second. He’s always been focused on building relationships across his teams.”
Lizzie Phillips
Stephens Insurance
Lizzie Phillips is the chief information officer and senior vice president for Stephens Insurance. In this role, she manages the firm’s technology strategy and data analytics platform. Prior to joining Stephens, Phillips started Rock Analytics LLC, where she deployed her expertise in visual analytics to help companies build reporting systems. Her background in analytics was shaped by seven years of service to Keybridge, an economic and public policy consulting firm in Washington, D.C., where she was a director. Before D.C., Phillips worked for microfinance organizations in India and the Philippines and completed a Fulbright research study.
Phillips holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies from Rhodes College.
James Reed
Conway Regional
As chief information officer for Conway Regional, James Reed is responsible for the information system operations of the health system. In addition, Reed provides executive oversight of the pharmacy and quality departments and serves as Conway Regional’s corporate compliance officer. He has spent the past 10 years as CIO. Reed has also served as pharmacist and pharmacy director at Conway Regional and was administrative director of St. Anthony’s Medical Center for nearly four years.
In 2019, Reed achieved the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce’s North Metro Healthcare Award for Administrator of the Year. He is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Henry G. Torres
Arkansas State University System
Henry Torres leads a team of more than 100 IT professionals across seven campuses. He is also adjunct instructor of information systems and business analytics at the ASU Neil Griffin College of Business in Jonesboro. Before moving to northeast Arkansas, Torres was an IT executive specializing in areas of distribution, logistics, store operations and e-commerce. His career included executive positions with WalMart, Neiman Marcus, CSK Auto and Frederick’s of Hollywood.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University, a master’s in business administration from Henderson State University and is working on his Ph.D. in business information systems at Kennesaw State University. He is a former board member of United Way of NEA, Hispanic Community Services Inc. and Mid-South Health Systems Inc. and currently serves on the boards of E.C. Barton Co. and Baptist Health of Arkansas.
Crenisha Wright
Arkansas Foodbank
Crenisha Wright joined Arkansas Foodbank in July of 2021 and serves as chief information officer. In this role, Wright is responsible for leading the organization’s information technology department. As the CIO for the largest food bank in Arkansas, Wright’s work in technology impacts more than 330 agencies in 33 counties that serve more than 280,000 neighbors facing food insecurity.
Under her leadership, the Foodbank’s enterprise resource planning software was upgraded, computer systems were updated and migrated to Microsoft O365, an automated service desk was implemented and cybersecurity and network monitoring software was acquired. Wright’s department also was awarded a grant that funded 95 percent of the organization’s network infrastructure, licenses and support for five years. Wright received a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from the University of Central Arkansas, an MBA in management from Texas A&M University-Texarkana, an MS degree in information science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the computer and information sciences program at UALR.
READ ALSO: 2023 Arkansas Money & Politics Tech Leaders
